1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to administration of medical fluid by infusion and, in particular, relates to loading and preparation of infusion pumps.
2. Background
Infusion pumps have become commonplace within the healthcare world as a way to precisely administer intravenous (IV) fluids. Use of a pump in place of a simple roller clamp with an elevated fluid container to control the flow of the IV fluid allows more accurate and consistent control of the rate of delivery of the fluid to a patient.
The assembly of tubing, valves, fittings, and needles that connect the fluid container to the patient may be referred to as an “IV set.” IV sets designed for use with IV pumps may have a pumping segment or chamber incorporated into the set, wherein the pumping segment fits into a compartment in the IV pump, as shown in FIG. 1. In use, medical fluid passes from the IV fluid container 14 through the tubing of IV set 18 to an infusion needle inserted in the arm of patient 10. The IV set 18 passes through a pumping module 20 of IV pump 12 that contains actuators (not shown) that act upon the pumping segment under the control of control unit 16 to force the medical fluid to flow to the patient 10 at a specified rate.
It is important that the pumping segment be properly positioned within the compartment of the IV pump to ensure that the actuators of the pumping module interact correctly with the pumping segment so that fluid is accurately pumped to the patient. Loading existing IV sets into an IV pump requires careful attention by the nurse or other healthcare provider to ensure that the pumping segment is properly positioned, as the various components and features of the IV set must be manually positioned within the pump and may slip out of position while the compartment door of the IV pump is being closed.